Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady: The real tale of the tape

We all know the vital stats: Tom Brady is 10-4 against Peyton Manning in his career, 2-1 in AFC Championship games. Manning’s 10-11 career playoff record and one Super Bowl win pale in comparison to Brady’s 18-7 record and three Super Bowls. Manning broke Brady’s single-season record with 55 touchdown passes this year and leads Brady in career touchdowns, 491-359.

The on-field accomplishments of these two quarterbacks are well-known, but we dug deeper and compared their off-field lives. We hope you have as much fun with it as we did.
Next

AP Photos

Endorsements

By the numbers, Manning leads Brady in endorsement earnings, $12 million to $7 million through June of last year, according to Forbes. Manning’s recent commercial appeal comes from the ubiquitous Papa John’s pizza commercials (Manning is an owner of 21 franchises). Brady is best known for his Uggs sponsorship, a better fit for his cosmopolitan persona but an easy target for jokes. Manning’s aw-shucks personality has made him a good fit for Mastercard (“cut that meat”) and Buick (“call Papa Bear”). Edge: Manning
Next

AP Photos

Choice of adult beverage

Manning made a rather public endorsement for one of the big beer companies following his team’s win over San Diego on Sunday, artfully dodging a question about his sore neck by answering, “What’s weighing on my mind is how soon I can get a Bud Light in my mouth after this win.” Outside of urging Patriots fans to “get lubed up” a couple years ago, Brady rarely references alcohol. However, in an interview with Women’s Health Magazine last September, Brady was asked about his guilty pleasure and responded, “A frozen margarita. Oh my God.” Give Peyton a deduction for his beer choice, but Brady’s choice of words may be worse. Edge: Manning, reluctantlyNext

HBO Photo

TV and movie appearances

For all his commercial success, Manning has no acting credits on imdb.com. Brady has three: for the HBO show “Entourage,” “Family Guy,” and the 2003 movie “Stuck on You” starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear, in which Brady played “Computer Geek #1”. Edge: BradyNext

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Popularity

It should come as no surprise that two of the most successful quarterbacks in league history are also among the most talked about. In a recent survey by Public Policy Polling, Manning was named the favorite quarterback of 22 percent of those polled. Brady came in second at 13 percent. On the flip side, perhaps because he wins so much or perhaps because of his “perfect life” image, Brady was also named as the least favorite quarterback by 18 percent of those surveyed, tops on the list. Manning came in way down on that list at 5 percent. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed had a positive opinion of Manning. Thirty-nine percent had a favorable opinion of Brady. Edge: Manning.
Next

It’s Brady’s dimples vs. Manning’s big forehead, which seems to get redder after each game. This one’s not close. Edge: BradyNext

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Wives

In 2001, Manning married Ashley Thompson, who has managed to stay out of the public eye. Brady went the opposite route, marrying Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen (pictured). We’d dig up more info on Thompson to try to make the comparison more fair, but whom are we kidding? Edge: BradyNext

Wire photo and screengrab

Side projects

The handsome Brady has the all-American good looks to be a model, a fact not lost on magazines such as GQ that insist on putting Brady through elaborate photo shoots each time he’s profiled. According to Charles S. Pierce’s book “Moving the Chains,” the picture of Brady holding the goat in GQ was a last-minute thing. Manning, meanwhile, put together a rap video with his brother Eli for DirecTV that featured lyrics such as, “It’s football on your phone that’s what I said/It’s football on your phone you can watch it in bed.” Edge: EvenNext

Mark J. Terrill

Best mention in a rap lyric

Speaking of rap, both Manning and Brady have been featured in lyrics from rapper Lil Wayne. In “Put Some Keys on That,” Lil Wayne says, “I’m a beast I’m a dog I should rap wit a muzzle/Peyton Manning flow I just go no-huddle.” In “Gucci Gucci,” he raps, “My life is a movie, I got a leading lady/My rooftop drop back like Tom Brady.” Edge: BradyNext

Wire Photos

Use of “Omaha” at the line of scrimmage

If you were watching Sunday’s Broncos-Chargers game, it was impossible not to notice Manning yelling “Omaha” on 44 of the 70 snaps he took. The word is part of his snap count, and it helped keep the Chargers guessing, goading them into several offsides penalties. Brady used to use the word, too. A 2012 Wall Street Journal article identified “Omaha” as the word he used when the ball was going to be snapped. Edge: EvenNext

Brady has three sisters and humbly describes how he was the worst athlete in his house growing up. One of his sisters married former Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis, who played for the Yankees last season before signing in Japan. Manning’s brother, Eli, is quarterback of the New York Giants, but maybe not for too much longer. Winner of two Super Bowls, Manning struggled along with his team this season. Edge: EvenNext

Roger Davies for Architectural Digest

Homes

Brady and Bundchen's house in Brentwood, Calif., comes complete with a moat (pictured) and infinity pool. They’re also building a home on a 5.2 acre lot in Brookline. Manning recently purchased a more traditional $4.6 million house in Denver. Edge: BradyNext

Grey Flannel

Jersey sales

Brady’s jersey was the seventh-most popular on NFLShop.com between April and September. Manning was second, behind 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. That Brady has been on the same team his entire NFL career needs to be taken into consideration. Edge: Manning Next

File Photo

Team value

Owned by Robert Kraft (left), Brady’s team, the New England Patriots, is worth $1.8 billion, according to Forbes. That places them second in the NFL behind the Dallas Cowboys. Manning’s Denver Broncos are valued at $1.16 billion, which ranks No. 13 in the NFL. Edge: BradyBack to the beginning